1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an approach for searching both local and remote data stores using symbols that correspond to search criteria.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information users, such as governmental organizations, corporations, and other private organizations, typically search data sources. Some of these sources may be maintained in-house, while others may be maintained, and therefore controlled, by external entities, and are accessed over a computer network, such as the Internet. Searching these data sources (data stores) often involves entering search terms, or “search criteria”, in a way that can be understood by the search engines. These searches often involve entering strings of text that the user is interested in finding. Entering text strings can introduce user error if the user enters the strings incorrectly. These searches can also involve entering logical search terms that relate the text strings to one another, such as the logical search terms of AND, OR, and NOT.